Container



July 6, 1937.

G. T. HORTON ET' AL CONTAINER Filed May 18, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. 'r. HORTON ET AL CONTAVINER Filed lay 18. 1935 July 6, 1937.

4 Sheets-Sheet i5 July 6,. 1937. G. T. HORTON El AL 2,085,752

CONTAINER w Filed May 18, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,085,752 comma George '1. Horton, Chicago, m, and Clayton L. Day, New York, N. Y., assignors to Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, Chicago, 111., a corpotainer adapted the type having a vertically movable piston, 'roof, or deck.

ration of Illinois Application May 18, 1935, Serial No. 22,276

This invention relates to improvements incontainers and, more especially, a cylindrical confor storing liquids or gases, of

Such roof may be buoyed up entirely or partially by the liquid or gas under it and, consequently, may. be referred to as a floating roof.

A feature of our invention is improved means for sealing the space between the periphery or edge of the roof and the cylindrical shell.

A feature of our invention is improved means for counterweighting the vertically movable roof.

Other features and advantages of our invention will appear more fully as we proceed with our specification. I

In that, form of device embodying the features of our invention shown in the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view; Fig. 4 is a view taken as indicated by the line 4 of Fig. 3 Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing the elongated casings forming apart of the seal; Fig. 6 is a view taken as indicated by the line 6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 isa fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4, showing a modification; and Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5

showing the modification.

We shall first describe the sealing means, Ingeneral, this includes a strip of flexible material on the outer edge of the roof forming a peripheral pocket.

This material may resemble, for

example, the material frequently used for brake shoe lining on motor cars. This material is preferably as liquid tight as possible and should be strong enough to withstand wear as far as possible as it rubs against the shell wall. .The inside of the shell wall should also be as smooth as possible, and to this end, the edges of the sheets forming the cylindrical shell are preferably butt welded.

, Inside of the. pocket, we provide one or more elongated flexible casings suitably filled, ex-

panded or inflated by liquid or gas.

We have telescoped or overlapped, and each casing, as? here shown, is .circular in cross-section.

Inside of the pocket and outside of the casings,

shown as oil.

we preferably provide fluid under pressure, here .for yieldingly distending this pocket into conweighting the roof;

The pressure in the casings may be, for example, from one to two pounds per square inch and the pressure outside of the casings and inside of the pocket, from one-quarter to one pound per square inch. 5

The pressure in the casings and the pressure of the liquid outside of the casings and inside of the pocket serve to'maintain the latter yieldingly distended and in contact with the shell to seal the-space between the roof and the shell.

Asshown'in the drawings, the cylindrical shell is indicated by Ill and provided with a suitable bottom II and dome top l2. 13 indicates the floating roof or piston, the same being provided with an upstanding peripheral rim l4. Attached to the outside of the rim I4 is a vertical sheet 15 carrying the strip of flexible material It on its outer side which forms a peripheral pocket. Means, to be hereinafter described, is provided tact with the shell I05,

Inside of the pocket Hi we provide twoelongated flexible casingsQone above the other. As here shown, each of these casings is made ,up of sixteen sections l1, l1, with adjacent ends tele scoped, as indicated by H. Each casing is suitably circular in cross-section, but in normal use is somewhat flattened as the edge of the roof approaches the shell, as shown in Fig. 6.

Inside of the pocket l6 and outside of the easings l1, l1 we have here shown a relatively heavy oil or lubricant l8 maintained under a pressure of from one-quarter to one pound per square inch. This oil is supplied through suitable pipes l9 from a lower tank 20 which is at the necessary height to maintain the desired pressure.

The casings l1, I], that is, all'sections of said casings, are filled with a relatively light oil' 2| maintained at a pressure of from, for example,

one to two pounds per square inch. This oil is 40 supplied through suitable pipes 22 from the upper tank 23,which is at the necessary height to maintain the oil under the desired pressure.

In Figs. '7 and 8, we have shown the elongated casings made up of sections H1, H1, corresponding to the sections I1,- l1, except that the ends instead of'being telescoped are slanted so that they overlap, as indicated by Ill I We shall now describe the means for counter- In. general, this includes a plurality of cables, preferably three or more, all attached to a single counterweight. With this construction, employing a single counterweight, tendency. for the roof to tip or slant is lessened or eliminated. If one side rises more than the others, the cable or cables on that side become slack so that the counterweight does "not pull on them.

We have here shown the single counterweight as comprising a ring surrounding the shell and so mounted on vertical guides or slides to maintain the same always in a horizontal position in its vertical movement.

The counterweight may be as heavy as desired,

for the cables 50 to pass through.

Outside of the shell is provided a single counterweight in the shape of a frame forming a ring surrounding the tank. This framework ring is indicated, in general, by 53. bers 52 form vertical guides or slides for the ring, the latter being provided at the top and bottom with flanged rollers 54, operating on the slides. The rollers are separated enough vertically to give a long bearing so that the'counterweight ring 53 is always maintained in a'horizontal position in its vertical movement.

While we have shown and described certain embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing fromv ,by Letters Patent, is:

1. A container, including;'a cylindrical shell; a vertically movable roof in the shell; and sealing means, including, a distendable pocket surrounding the roof and means inside of the pocket for yieldingly distending the same into contact The vertical mem-- with the shell, said means including an elongated casing in the pocket, with means for expanding the same, and fluid under pressure in the pocket and surrounding the casing.

2. A container, including; a cylindrical shell; a vertically movable roof in the shell; and sealing means, including, a distendable pocket surrounding the roof and means inside of the pocket for yieldin-gly'distending the same into contact for yieldingly distending the same into contact with the shell, said means including two elongated sectional casings, one above the, other, in the pocket, with 'means for introducing fluid under pressure into said casings to expand the same, and fluid under pressure in the pocket and surrounding the casings, the pressure inside the casings being greater than the pressure in the pocket and outside of said casings.

4. A container, including; a cylindrical shell, a vertically movable roof in the shell, and sealing means, including, a distendable pocket surrounding the roof and attached thereto and means inside the pocket for yieldingly distending the same into contact with the shell, said means including an elongated casing in the'pocket and means for expanding said casing.

5. A container, including; a cylindrical shell,

a vertically movable 'roof in the shell, and sealing means, including, a distendable pocket surrounding the roof and attached thereto and means inside the pocket for yieldingly distending the same into contact with the shell, said means including two elongated casings, one above the other, in the pocket, and means for expanding said casings.

GEORGE '1. HORTON. CLAYTON L. DAY. 

